When Dawn Breaks
by Rekall
Summary: [AU, SetoYami] A young lord returns to his home village where his lover had been murdered a year earlier but something else is now lurking around, attacking the townsfolk.


**A/N –** I got this idea in my head _ages_ ago after reading a dj called "Chemical Vamp Show" (alas I can't remember who created it) and watching too way many monster movies.

It's unbetaed because there was no time, as I wanted it done for today since I figured it was fitting story for Halloween. Therefore please ignore any errors.

--

Seto closed his eyes and sighed as the carriage rocked along the bumpy path; it had been a long time since he enjoyed the comforts of his home, business abroad had keeping him away.

He hadn't been back in over a year, ever since his lover had been killed in a lynching when the townsfolk discovered he preferred the company of men. Only Seto's family name saved him from the same fate and now he was returning, as Lord of the area for his father died a month earlier.

A clomping was heard from the hooves of the horses stomping across a wooden bridge. He was close now; his castle as located a short distance away from village on a small hill. A stream separated the two places but unfortunately for Seto it wasn't deep enough to drown anyone and make it look like an accident.

The carriage began slowing as it grew closer to the castle and Seto's blue eyes slid open. Shoving the curtain aside he peered out the small window and scowled when he saw the damp, massive place he called home. He loathed the place and longed to return to his peaceful life in England.

"Atemu…" he whispered, closing his eyes once more.

The rocking stopped as the carriage came to a halt. The door quickly swung open to reveal the face of Isono, a loyal servant, whose family served the Kaiba's for centuries.

"Master Seto, it's good to have you home."

"Hn; it's unfortunately I had to return to his wretched place."

"Yes, I'm sure you did wish to return under better circumstances…"

"Try, I'd rather not return at all," Seto snapped as he stepped town the tiny steps and began strolling toward the castle leaving Isono to take care of his luggage.

Pausing his gait, Seto turned around to look at the village in the valley below. In the dark night he could easily see the lights emitting from the glittering candles; secretly he wished that one of those candles would fall over and burn the place to the ground.

Spinning on his heels, Seto began strolling towards the castle once more, the large doors opening as he drew near.

"I'm tired," he announced to the servants who stood by the door to welcome him home. "I wish to go to bed and not be disturbed; no matter what."

"Yes sir!" came the chorus of replies as Seto stalked up the grand staircase to the second floor; walking to his left he then went up another staircase to the third floor, where he strolled down the hallway until he reached and entered the last room, the master suite.

Stripping off the long jacket he wore, the brunet aristocrat began readying for bed, praying for a dreamless night.

**--**

A gentle breeze rustled the blood red curtains, which hung on each side of the doorway that lead to the balcony. In his sleep, Seto stirred, his unconscious mind dimly aware that something was amidst, that something odd was taking place in the room, but unable to determine exactly what.

A shadow creep across the room; halting at the bed it hovered over Seto's prone body, watching the lord peacefully sleep.

**--**

Seto woke early the next morning right when the sun was rising. Faint memories of a strange dream clouded his mind and he could have sworn he felt the presence of someone in his room during the night. He wonder if a servant had wandered in even though he had commanded them to leave him alone.

A maid entering the room however quickly interrupted his musings.

"Good morning Master Seto," she chirped as she walked over to the thick curtains and flung them open to allow the morning rays of sun to stream into the room.

"You there!" Seto snapped from where he was sitting up in bed. "Did anyone come into my room last night?"

"Nn-o sir! You ordered us not too!"

"Hn."

"Is something wrong sir?"

"No; be gone with you for now."

The maid bowed and then scurried from the room before she could get into any trouble. Once alone, Seto threw back the covers, stood and began getting ready for the day, by the time he was fully dressed a loud banging noise was heard throughout the castle indicating that he had a visitor.

'_What is it now?'_ he wondered in annoyance; he had been back for a night and yet already someone dared to disturb his peace.

Strolling out the door and down the first flight of stairs, Seto stood at the top of the grand stairway while a servant opened the big doors. To Seto's surprise, the entire town stood on the other side.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded as they spilled into the foyer. Looming over the crowd Seto had the advantage, despite being out numbered, if they chose to cause trouble.

"M-my Lord!" one begged, a middle aged man who carried a pitchfork. "You must do something to save us! The monster attacked again last night and little Anna was killed!"

"Monster?" Seto inquired, raising an eyebrow as he began walking down the stairs; he now knew that they meant him no harm.

"The Walking Undead!" a woman whispered while shuddering.

"He's been plaguing our village for a year!" another cried out. "Attacks during the night and in the morning someone turns up dead!"

"Than I shall thank this so-called monster."

"My Lord!"

Seto rolled his eyes; he didn't want to be bothered by their foolish claims but at the same time he wanted them out of his home. As Lord and the most educated person around it was his –duty- to take care of the matter; besides if some animal was roaming the area, attacking townsfolk, it could easily attack him as well so he knew it would be best to take care of the situation.

"Very well," he heavily sighed. "Take me to the corpse."

Happy murmurs rose from the crowd as they thanked Seto, who had to try hard to resist rolling his eyes once more. "Isono!" he snapped and the faithful servant came rushing to his side. "Prepare my horse."

The servant rushed off as the townsfolk began filing out of the castle with Seto behind them. As the crowd mingled around the property, Seto stormed off to the stables where Isono was busy carrying out his orders; the servant made sure that one of the prize stallions that the Kaiba family owned was ready to go by the time Seto got there.

"Sir," Isono politely said with a bow as the young lord hoisted himself up into the saddle.

"I'll be back as soon as possible," Seto informed him, taking the reins and giving the horse a kick with his heels to get the tall black animal moving. Quickly he rejoined the townsfolk where he was soon being led back to the village.

"This way," they cried heading towards the local church where the body had been moved to so that preparations for her funeral could be made. Leaving the care of his stallion in the hands of blacksmith, Seto followed the other townspeople inside the building where in front of the Alter laid the young woman on a table, as she awaited delivery of her coffin.

Stepping up to the table it only took Seto a few minutes to determine the cause of her death upon examining the body. "She died from blood lost," he dispassionately explained, pointing to a bite mark on the woman's neck. "Some sort of animal bit her but there is no sign of a struggle."

"It's the monster!" a woman near the back of the crowd cried and Seto rolled his eyes.

"There's no such thing as monsters," Seto grumbled as he spun on his heels and stormed out of the building.

Retrieving his horse, Seto was soon heading back to his castle. He had better things to do than listen to silly stories about some monster. The simple-minded townspeople had no clue how to grasp reality and understand that monsters did not exist; it was a waste of his valuable time to further hang around there.

**--**

That night, Seto tossed his sleep, plagued by nightmares of the event a year ago that resulted in Atemu's death.

Outside the castle, the wind howled as a storm roared through the area. The doors to the balcony swung open, violently clattering as they caught a gust of wind.

A lone figured stepped into the room from the balcony and quickly closed the banging doors, locking them tight. Satisfied that the doors would no longer move, the petite male quietly made his way across the room, towards the canopy bed where the young Lord slept laid out on his back.

"Seto…" he whispered. Reaching out with a hand, the short man gently brushed away the brunet hair that had fallen in front of Seto's closed eyes.

Moving again, the petite stranger laid down on the bed next to the young Lord, leaning over Seto's chest so that he had a clear view of the brunet's pale neck. The short man opened his mouth slightly to reveal sharp pointed teeth.

'_One quick bite…'_ he thought as he lowered his mouth to the young Lord's neck. Unfortunately for him, blue eyes snapped open before he could make contact.

Grasping the arms of the strange body next to him, Seto rolled them over so that he was top. Propping himself up with his arms, Seto loomed over the petite man with an angry look on his face. Within seconds however he recognized familiar red eyes.

"Atemu…? How…?" he whispered as he rolled off his former lover and sat next to him in shock.

"It's complicated," the other man quietly replied as he sat up and drew his knees up to his chest. "I'm…not supposed to be alive right now."

Reaching out, Seto gently touched Atemu's cheek, stroking his thumb over the soft skin. Turning into the touch, Atemu allowed himself to be pulled into the brunet's arms. It had been too long since he had felt the warmth of Seto's embrace around him.

"Tell me."

Atemu sighed and began his tale. "As you know the villagers chased me through the forest when I tried to escape. When they finally caught up to me, they left me for dead and I would have died too if someone hadn't been watching."

"Watching?"

"He did something to me Seto," Atemu continued, his voice barely a whisper as he clung tightly to the young lord, burying his face into the silk fabric of Seto's nightshirt. "He turned me into what I am today; it saved my life but at a cost."

"I do not understand what you are trying to say…" Seto softly replied as he held his love tighter; it wasn't possible for Atemu to be alive but the young lord didn't care right then to think of what was possible and what wasn't.

"Blood…I need fresh blood to survive…"

Seto's body stiffened as he easily figured things out. "You're the one who killed the girl; the monster that the townspeople spoke about."

"Yes…but she deserved to die though; her father is the town's butcher who repeated hacked at me as if I was some animal."

"Have you come for me now?" Seto whispered in alarm; that night he had been powerless to stop the attack.

"It wasn't your fault!" Atemu protested, pulling back slightly so he could look at his lover's eyes; he knew what Seto was thinking. "I just had to see you…I came last night but that wasn't enough…I can't bare to be apart from you any longer…"

Seto tugged the shorter man back into his arms. "I understand."

The pair remained quiet for a few minutes, allowing for everything to sink in for Seto; it was quite a shock for him to discover that his dead lover was still alive. Finally the young lord spoke. "This…thing…done to you…can you do it to me?"

"Yes…but you'll become like me, an immortal who feeds on the blood of humans."

"I don't care. Lets wipe this entire village out together, they deserve it for what they did."

"Okay…"

Placing his mouth to Seto's neck, Atemu's teeth sunk into the flesh and he began drinking the sweet blood of his lover. Seto remained quiet through the entire process, only flinching slightly when the fangs were inserted and then removed from his neck.

Biting his wrist, Atemu held it up to Seto's mouth, allowing him freely drink, which he eagerly did. They would be together forever now and nothing would force them apart ever again.


End file.
